Gas sensor response of thin films: impact of p-n junctions

Resumo

In 2010, we began an international cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with the group of Prof. Tuller, funded by MISTI MIT and FAPESP (proc. Nº 10/51959-8) and we have had both student and faculty exchanges between both Universities. In 2012, we received another cooperation project MIT-FAPESP (proc. Nº 12/51195-3) and again we achieved student and faculty exchange between our universities. Both projects were funded to study the sensor properties of pure and doped nanostructured semiconductors. During this cooperation we obtained impressive results that were published in high impact journals in the sensor and materiais science field (Sensors & Actuators B, 2014, submitted; Sensors & Actuators B, 186, 103, 2013; Adv. Func. Mater., 23, 1759, 2013). Moreover, based on our discovery that SnO rnicro-disks exhibit exceptional sensor response to NO2 gas, we have obtained a provisional patent via the MIT- Technology Licensing Office. Based on this previous successful cooperation, now we are proposing to continue the cooperation, by studying the role that p-n junctions can play in further enhancing gas senso r sensitivity and selectivity to different gaseous analytes. (AU)